Dragonborn (The Jade Lee Romantic Fantasies, Book 1) by Jade Lee Page A

 
    "You'll have to go in there with her," he mumbled.
    He needn't have said it; Kiril was already inside, wrapping her in his arms. She went willingly, closing her eyes as she absorbed his heat, his strength.
    Why do you rely on him? the egg asked. We have always depended on our own strength.
    Natiya didn't answer, not knowing what to say. She knew only that it was heaven to rest against his chest, to hear the steady beat of his heart, to feel the supporting circle of his arms.
    Behind her, the guard shut the cell, relocking it with a quick turn of the key. And then he turned his back on them, staring into the cell across from Natiya's, as if that would afford them some privacy.
    Kiril pulled back from her, studying her face as he spoke. "The lieutenant is very angry. I fear for you." He bit his lip, his eyes skating away from hers. "I tried all morning to find a way—"
    "But you have no authority here. I know." She knew he would not be able to help her. She'd known it all along, and yet somehow she had allowed herself to hope. To... rely on him. She turned away, silently cursing her stupidity. The egg was right. She had pinned her hopes on him instead of relying on herself. Hadn't she learned that lesson a long time ago? Her only hope lay in herself.
    Then she felt his hands on her shoulders, gently turning her back to him. "Don't despair," he whispered. "I have—"
    A trumpet blast cut through the air and his words. Once. Twice. Thrice. Kiril frowned, looking first at her, then at the guard who had turned at the sound.
    "What is it?" he asked.
    The boy didn't answer, but another prisoner did, coming to his feet to push his face against his own bars. "It's a summons. To assembly." Up and down the narrow hallway, all the prisoners shifted or spoke or jeered, each adding his opinion about what was happening.
    Meanwhile, down the corridor, the other guards were rushing, banging chairs and cursing each other as they scrambled to right their clothing, find their gear and run to the courtyard. All the while, the boy guard stood, fidgeting in nervousness, his dilemma clear: he was called to assembly, and yet he could not abandon his post. Not with the governor here.
    Kiril stepped forward, his expression kindly. "Go," he told the boy. "We can go nowhere. You have locked us in." Then he yanked on the bars for emphasis. They were truly trapped inside. Together.
    The boy made his decision quickly, already moving down the hall. "I'll come back for you as soon as I can," he promised. Then he was gone, and Kiril frowned after him, his eyes darting between the now empty corridor and the window slit far above their heads. He could see nothing of outside, but he kept looking, his expression more and more troubled.
    "Kiril?" Natiya asked. "What is it?"
    "There was no assembly planned for today. I know. I checked."
    "What does it matter?" she asked, not understanding his concern and feeling more interested in what he had been about to say before. "Why shouldn't I despair?"
    He turned to her then, after one last glance down the corridor. "Because I have the keys." And with that he pulled out a ring of keys identical to the one the boy had worn.
    "How?"
    He grinned and made quick work of opening her cell. "Do you think his are the only set? There are others, easily obtained by someone with quick fingers and the nerve to barge into rooms where he's not supposed to be."
    "Someone like a governor?"
    He didn't answer except to flash her a quick smile; then he rushed to the corridor, looking to each side before gesturing to her. "It's clear, but we haven't much time."
    She was beside him in an instant, gripping the hand he held out. But she didn't move when he tried to pull her down the hall. He glanced back, confused.
    "Natiya?"
    "The others. What about the other prisoners?"
    Kiril's eyes narrowed, his gaze hopping from her to the pleading wretches behind her. "I cannot release everyone. I don't know what they've done."
    "They are military